FORT MYERS, Fla. — On Wednesday, nearly two weeks since people living at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin were told hurricane damages made it unsafe to live there, residents like Rick Grossi say their plea was for more time.
“It comes down to we need the time to get our vessels sea-worthy so we can get on with our journeys,” said Grossi.
Since Hurricane Ian blew through the Fort Myers Yacht Basin, Grossi has been working to fix the damages to his boat, Odyssey.
“The Gulf of Mexico has no conscience, I mean if you are not prepped and set and you are on a vessel you better have your act together,” said Grossi.
Grossi said once his boat is fixed, he plans to find a new place to live.
“Hurricane season doesn’t end till November. The obvious place to go is south, Marathon, Key West, but how silly would you feel in two weeks if you got blown off the map,” said Grossi.
On Wednesday, Grossi was one of the few people seen at the yacht basin but says the city gives him different answers for how long he can work on his boat.
“The communication hasn’t been great, that is still a bit up in the air. I have got all day today I'm going to make good use of it. Yesterday it wasn’t that way, hopefully, tomorrow it is and this time next week I’ll be sails up and headed to Marathon,” said Grossi.
A positive outlook during a time when rick says it can be rough waters for many of his neighbors.
“Negativity doesn’t gain and ground. I am a sailor, it's all about forward progress,” said Grossi.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
